As Sylvia stepped out of her car wearing a beautiful white gown on her wedding day, she looked at the church’s parking lot and asked her sister, “Do any of these expensive cars seem familiar to you?”

When her sister said she didn’t recognize them, Sylvia thought it was strange because the man she was marrying was not rich. In fact, he worked as a janitor in her neighborhood, and Sylvia was sure he didn’t have friends or family who could afford expensive vehicles.

Never mind, they must be someone else’s, Sylvia thought to herself before her bridesmaids helped her walk through the church’s entrance. She stayed inside the preparation room before her mother called her outside.

“Come on, Sylvia,” her mother said. “It’s time for you to walk down the aisle with your father.”

At this point, Sylvia hadn’t seen her groom, Rob. However, when she saw him as she walked down the aisle holding her father’s arm, she could barely recognize him.

As Sylvia walked closer to the altar, she looked around and noticed the decorations inside the church. These must be super expensive. How did Rob afford to get these? she wondered.

After having dinner and getting to know each other better, Sylvia and Rob were walking down the street when suddenly, Rob stopped and held Sylvia’s hand.

As soon as she reached the altar and looked at Rob, she felt her head spin. I’m going to faint. This can’t be true, Sylvia thought to herself. The man she thought was a janitor was waiting for her at the altar, looking like a millionaire, wearing a designer outfit and expensive shoes.

A month ago, Sylvia was walking home from the grocery store after buying food for the people at the shelter she volunteered at. She was a kind-hearted girl who loved helping others around her. She even fed the homeless and spent time with injured animals at the local animal shelter.

While returning home from the grocery, Sylvia looked around to see if someone needed food, as she often did. This time, she noticed a young man drenched in sweat cleaning the yard of a big house in her neighborhood.

Since she had never seen him around, she thought he must be employed by the rich family living in that house. Watching him work in the scorching heat made her feel bad, so she pulled out a bottle of water and a sandwich from her brown cloth bag.

“Here you go, sir! This is for you,” she handed him the water bottle and sandwich box.

“For me? Oh, that’s so kind of you!” the man replied.

“You must be feeling hungry after working so hard. Did you start cleaning yards in this neighborhood recently? I have never seen you before,” Sylvia asked.

“Umm… I―”

“Oh, never mind. Please have this sandwich. It’s really good!”

The man unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. “Oh, this is so delicious! The meat is super juicy. It’s Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, right?” he asked.

“No,” Sylvia chuckled. “It’s just a regular pepperoni sandwich from the grocery store. Nothing fancy.”

While the man ate his sandwich, Sylvia introduced herself and asked him his name.

“I’m Rob,” he replied.

“It was so nice to meet you, Rob!” Sylvia smiled. “I hope to see you again here.”

Soon, Sylvia and Rob became friends from their frequent encounters outside the same house in her neighborhood. They got to know each other and soon fell in love.

Two weeks after their first meeting, Rob and Sylvia went on a date. He didn’t have a car when he came to pick her up at her house. Instead, he arrived on foot and asked Sylvia if she would be comfortable walking with him down the street to the nearest restaurant.

“No problem, Rob. I never said I wanted to go on a date with you in a car.” She held his hand, and they began walking towards the restaurant.

“So, what do you do besides your job?” Sylvia asked him.

Rob was surprised to see her take an interest in his hobbies. “No one has ever asked me this question before. You’re the first woman who wants to know about my personality,” he said.

“Oh, really? That’s such a basic question!” Sylvia laughed.

After having dinner and getting to know each other better, Sylvia and Rob were walking down the street when suddenly, Rob stopped and held Sylvia’s hand. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Will you marry me, Sylvia?” Rob asked on one knee.

“Rob? Oh my God!” Sylvia covered her face with her hands. “Yes!”

After Rob hugged her, he said, “You’re in for a surprise!”

“What surprise?” Sylvia asked.

“I will reveal that on the day we tie the knot!” he laughed.

Two weeks later, Rob was standing at the altar, and Sylvia was looking at him with eyes wide open. All this time, she thought Rob was a janitor, but in reality, he was a millionaire.

“I never told you about my business because I wanted to be sure you were the right one,” Rob told her.

“What do you mean?” Sylvia asked as her eyebrows came together.

“You were the first girl impressed by my personality, not my wealth. You never cared about money. My interests, nature, and values were all that mattered to you, and that made me fall in love with you, Sylvia.” Rob held her hand. “I was already looking for a girl, and when I met you, I was almost sure you were the one I had been looking for.”

“You know what’s the best thing about you?” Rob asked. “You don’t need a lot of money to enjoy life. You find joy in the simplest things, like spending time with the poor and feeding dogs. You’re the woman I always wanted!”

That day, Sylvia married a millionaire instead of a janitor and celebrated her big day in one of the most expensive restaurants in town. She had never imagined her kindness would change her life for the better.

What can we learn from this story?

• Always look at people’s personalities, not their wealth. Sylvia was ready to marry Rob, despite knowing he didn’t own a car or have a lot of money. She liked him because of his personality.
• Be kind to others around you. Like Sylvia, we should help the needy as much as we can. Not everyone is fortunate enough to afford the luxuries of life.

Share this story with your friends and family. It might brighten their day and inspire them.